Dreams Or Hope
by Tallen93
Summary: Three shot sorry, slight AU. Armin, Eren, and Mikasa recover from the battle with Annie and each young soldier reflects and also remembers or experiences a hope or dream they desire after the war.
1. Armin

Armin and Mikasa emerged from the sealed room that held Erwin and members of the government; The young soldiers had been drilled with question after question about their morals, duties, destruction of the city, and finally their encounters with the Female Titan...or for lack of a better word Annie Leonhart. Was it all true or a dream, did Annie the stern silent Trainee turned Military Police member actually become a Titan and cause the death of millions of soldiers and civilians?

"I thought they'd never let us leave, it seems all we do is act as witnesses for court." said Armin with obvious fatigue in his voice.

"It is tiresome but it couldn't be helped, it comes with the job." replied Mikasa her response to the point like always.

The pair joined up with their fellow Survey Corps members further outside of the building, it was easy to see a great battle had just taken place, among the rubble various members of the Police and able bodied civilians searched for anyone who may have been lost in the debris in more ways then one; They joined up up with Connie, Sasha, and Krista who were trying to rest as much as they could but it was easy to see they were on edge themselves if it's one thing Survey Corps members could look forward to it was dirty looks from citizens or frantic questions from everyone else.

"Finally you two are back, how's Eren?" asked Connie trying to keep his wife about him; Sasha and Krista looked deeply concerned as well.

"He is fine, ate like a madman then fell asleep." confirmed Mikasa as she sat down against a building wall adjacent to her.

The group looked out at the city before them and still couldn't believe all the destruction; Just moments ago this was a quiet high end city then in the blink of an eye was transformed into not only a battle zone but a mass grave. The townspeople were on all ends of the spectrum, they either were frantic and emotional over lost loved one's, casting dirty looks or thoughts about soldiers especially any the recognized from the fray, or they were on their knees crying out at the walls and screaming chants or prayers through crying screams, the only silence came from the group of young soldiers.

"I think we all have the same question on our minds." began Krista breaking the silence with her small mousy voice trying to avoid it altogether.

"You mean what's for Dinner right?" asked Sasha half jokingly out of her usual hunger, her stomach could be heard growling easily as she finished her sentence.

Connie sighed in a tiny annoyance "I wish that were the only thing we had to worry about. Never would have thought Annie though, of all people..." Everyone agreed silently.

Armin began to shake inwardly, though he was one of the soldiers to help discover the identity of the Female Titan he never saw Annie being the one, he remembered her as the silent and interesting girl he tried to befriend in basic training not a spy or cold blooded killer. Unbeknownst to Armin, Krista had been watching him and reading his every move.

"You loved her, didn't you Armin?" Everyone including Armin seemed to pipe up at the statement.

Armin tried to find words "What do you mean Krista?" he was not denying anything but it was obvious he was shocked and caught off guard.

Krista looked at him sweetly "It was obvious Armin, after all you gave her chance after chance for her to come down into the tunnel, and we all knew you had interest in her from day one. Did you forget we all trained together?" Armin regained his composure a bit but still didn't know how to react, he always kept those feelings hidden.

Connie laughed a bit "You sure know how to pick them Armin." Everyone became taken back by his remark, Admin was trying to keep anger from forming on his face.

Mikasa finally spoke up "That's enough, the Titans tear humanity apart as it is so don't start doing it to each other." She rose from her spot and began to walk "I'm going to check on Eren, I suggest everyone find something to stay busy." The group began to slowly disperse in separate directions Armin was the only one who seemed to remain.

"Don't mind Connie, you know he can be an idiot sometimes." said Sasha placing a hand on Armin's shoulder before leaving to join back up with Connie.

Armin stood still for a few seconds to calm himself; Everyone was so on edge lately it was hard to think of the last time anyone seemed friendly to one another, this war saw no end in sight but Armin had his own hopes to hang onto even if they seemed far-fetched. He kept thinking of Annie, he wondered if she would ever wake up from her stasis and if so he knew a trial would take place and the thought of her being executed frightened him to no end; Armin began to walk toward the HQ of the city for some much needed sleep, but he doubted he would sleep at all.

Later that night Admin was wide awake in his bunk staring up at the ceiling; He couldn't shake Annie from his mind, he had so much he wished to tell her or things he should have said sooner but now she was a war criminal, a traitor, and pasting dormant for who knows how long. Admin mentally scolded himself for not saying a word to her, he often thought of how life after the war would be, assuming the war had an end and he often thought about how life would be if Annie were included and he began to remember a vivid dream he had once.

 _Armin awoke peacefully and a small yawn escaped his mouth as he got up and walked up to the mirror of the bedroom he was in; He always laughed to himself as he looked at how he had aged the military had been good to him but strain was present if you knew where to look. it seemed like yesterday he was a timid soldier and now he was a retired general living outside of the walls but not far from the city. Admin did some final touches to his hygiene before putting his grandfather's worn hat on his head and combing the small beard he had been growing and then turned to face the bed and approach the female form that still lay inside it curled up in a peaceful sleep._

 _"I'm heading out to work Annie, I love you" Armin bent down and placed a tender kiss on her head and like clockwork he waited for her response._

 _Annie stirred and began to groan and stretch "Armin, you know I love you but must you profess it before sunrise? You know I'm not a morning person like you.".Armin laughed a bit at how cute she looked half asleep._

 _"I know Annie, but it wouldn't be a good start to the day if I just left and not said anything" replied Admin with a shy smile on his face, He and Annie were opposites but they meshed so well together._

 _Annie smiled a bit "I know, have a good day and don't forget your smoke flare." she said before drifting back to sleep._

 _Armin walked to the bedside table and picked up his smoke flare, it had been years since a Titan had been sighted but Annie insisted her carry it with him anytime he left home weather he went into the city or if he worked farther into the land of the ranch they lived on, you can take soldiers out of the military but you can never stop soldiers from being soldiers; Armin just saw it as Annie saying in her own way that she cared. Upon leaving the room and the house Armin found himself outside looking out at open land with a small barn and stables; The perk to retirement was that he had days where he could just work the land much like he and his family did before and at time it was a form of relief for him, since Titans were a rare sight the Survey Corps had just become a group that was seen as more of a novelty unit to make special appearances at events for trainees or special anniversary events; Armin took in a beep breath of the fresh air as he approached the stables and began his day._

 _Many hours later the sun had began to set and Armin returned home, he took off his grandfather's hat and placed it on a nearby table and placed his flare down as well and began to walk toward the open backdoor of the house, he found Annie outside training with a worn punching bag; He loved watching her train she was a beautiful but deadly force as she landed strike after strike._

 _"I'm home Annie!" he yelled out toward her as she finished up and began cleaning sweat off her skin and walked towards him._

 _"Good, missed you." she said as she gave him a quick peck kiss before going inside with Armin following behind like a puppy, that habit had never changed._

 _The pair settled down at a table and began eating dinner and. catching up with the following other or their day and as it went on the conversations turned silent until Annie spoke up._

 _"Eren and a few soldiers came by today." she said as she began putting used dishes away, Armin looked up surprised at the mention of his old friends name._

 _"Really, what's the famous Titan Slayer up to? It's not like him to come with a group." Armin waited or a reply but was rather surprised and began to assume the worst._

 _Annie turned to face him "All is well, ever since Levi replaced Erwin he makes sure Eren has armed escorts is all. However, he came to see you. Something about a trip." Annie moved closer to Armin and sat down beside him and took his hand in hers._

 _Armin sensed her thought "When we were kids, we said we would go outside the walls and see what all was out there; However you seemed worried Annie." he said squeezing her hand in concern._

 _Annie looked him in the eye "I know the Titans seem to be gone, but I guess I'm just a little worried that the peace is just temporary." She looked away a bit in thought._

 _Armin silently got up walked behind Annie and embraced her from behind and held her for a moment, he knew Annie kept feelings to herself but this was a rare moment that she was outwardly open about anything._

 _"I know you're worried darling, but no matter how far I could go I'd always come back home or make sure you were with me through everything. I love you Annie weather it was miles or even Titans nothing is taking us away from each other."_

Armin had that dream every once in awhile and it still stayed real to him each and every time; Now he was just hanging onto the hope to make it real and that He and Annie would share a world together soon.

 **AN:Hope you enjoyed reading this, it is my first story for A.O.T and though it takes place after the finale of season one it doesn't follow the manga or anime. Just something I came up with after watching it. As stated this will be a three part story and anything that is marks in italics is a dream sequence.**


	2. Mikasa

Mikasa walked back into Eren's room and found he was still asleep, she placed a chair by his bed side and sat in it as he seemed to sleep peacefully; She could hardly remember the last time Eren slept like this but figured it was a long time ago before the Titans entered their lives.

"It's nice to see you sleeping well again, Eren." Mikasa spoke out loud but not loud enough to disturb Eren who laid still as he toon calm breaths, she swore he had drooled a little.

Mikasa could not take her eyes off of her long time friend, though Eren had found it annoying she never wanted to take her eyes off of him and made it her main concern that he was taken care of; It merely had started as a life debt to thank him for saving her when they were young but over the years it had grown deeper, some would say it bordered on deep love. The two young soldiers had been through a lot together loss of family, life and death battles, Titans, and the last five years had all come to this day where they and the Survey Corps lay in the balance.

"Eren, I almost lost you again..." Mikasa halted in her speech, she couldn't bare the thought of not having Eren, _her_ Eren by her side, it was a sight the usually stone faced Mikasa began to let tears pierce her porcelain skin.

She placed a hand on her scarf and played with the martial, it had always been a comfort for her she never dare part with it ever since Eren wrapped it around her all those years ago. She placed her free hand on Eren's face and her heart skipped a few thousand beats when he leaned into it; Mikasa figured he was in a deep sleep because he was never that outwardly affectionate in all the years they had known each other.

Many hours had passed and Mikasa was still by Eren's side, surprisingly no one had come to check on him or to inform of visiting hours being over with; The sun had been setting for a good while and Mikasa felt a yawn escape her lips she began to drift in and out of sleep for a few minutes; Finally sleep had overcome her and she began to fade into a dream.

 _Many years had passed and it seemed the war with the Titans was almost at an end; However this day was peaceful a even still rare feat. Mikasa, the woman who had been dubbed "The One Woman Army." found herself not on the battle field but at home in a decent sized apartment not far from HQ and she appeared to be still moving in as she placed a portrait from her days in the 104th on the wall, it had been taken just minutes after graduation._

 _Mikasa stepped back a bit to check if the picture was level with the wall, as usual her precise nature paid off it was perfectly straight; Her gazing was interrupted by the feeling of a tug at her pant leg, she turned and looked down to find a little girl around the age of five._

 _"Yes, Carla?" she said with a smile as she looked at the child sweetly and picked her up to get a better look at her._

 _Clara talked with excitement "I was looking out the window, and saw the gate open Mr. Jaeger should be home soon!" Mikasa couldn't help but smile at the thought of her shared excitement._

 _Mikasa and Eren had agreed to not bring children into a world of war, but that all changed when they met Clara; She, along with other refugee children had been brought to an Orphanage in the city after their homes and families were destroyed by a Titan attack. Eren had surprisingly been the one that suggested they adopt the young girl, Mikasa thought it was started by the irony that Clara and Eren's mother had shared a name and with both soldiers being orphans themselves it felt natural to save a child from that type of environment. Mikasa was still taken back that Clara addressed she and Eren by last name after living with them so long but she figured whenever Clara felt comfy enough she would use different titles;It was easy to see why the pair fell in love with the young girl, not only was her smile and joyful attitude she was very beautiful sporting long dark hair, Hazel eyes, and strong German-like features._

 _The door to the apartment opened and Eren made his way inside; Clara was first to greet him as she happily jumped into his arms and hugged him tight with a laugh and beaming smile. Mikasa had to admit, she loved the sight of her happy family;After all she had gone through she felt at peace to have some sort of stable form in her life. Eren placed Clara down and made his way to Mikasa and embraced her lovingly._

 _"Eren.." she said simply as she completed the hug, Mikasa would never admit it but she felt lost if she and Eren were ever apart for a prolonged time._

 _Eren laughed sweetly "It's me, back in one piece." he broke the hug and kissed her before picking Clara up as she happily demanded that Eren tell her stories about his time outside the walls._

 _Mikasa silently joined them as Eren walked to a small table with Clara in tow; She loved to watch Eren tell her stories as it always made the pair smile and laugh; Mikasa never imagined herself having a family ever again but she grew to love the idea and now that she had it she was going to all she could to keep it._

Mikasa stirred awake at the sound of the door opening and as she turned toward it to find Levi entering the room, he looked surprised, or as surprised as Levi could get.

"How long have you been here Cadet?" he raised a questioning brow toward Mikasa.

Mikasa seemed to be a bit nervous "I...came to visit Eren and I guess I fell asleep and stayed over night." Mikasa tried to hide a blush at that phrase, she intact had spent the whole night with Eren but that wording could make anyone assume things.

Levi looked unmoved "Well, best you report to the camp they started rebuilding and they could use an extra hand at the Bread Line." Levi left the door open as he left to where ever had to be for the day.

Mikasa let a breath of relief escape her as she didn't get in trouble or chastised about being alone with a still sleeping Eren over night. she straightened her uniform out and gave her messy hair a rub down before turning to Eren and silently as possible placing a tender kiss on his head and made her way to the door.

"Eren...I love you. Please stay with me." she said longingly as she exited the room slowly shutting the door behind her.


	3. Eren

Eren awoke and felt ragged and exhausted, he could only remember speaking to Mikasa, eating, and fighting Annie; Eren wiped a cold sweat from his brow though he had been sound asleep he was still plagued by nightmares and night terrors but he had been having those for years now but never admitted it to another soul, he saw it as a form of weakness. Eren stirred a bit as he heard the door to the room open and Levi was on the other side.

"Good, you're up." said Levi in his usual bland tone as he stood in the threshold of the door.

Eren got out of bed and began moving "Morning Captain, let me guess you're here to escort me to another Court Marshall." Levi moved aside and let Eren into the hall and the two began walking.

"Actually the opposite Jaeger, seems Erwin has bought you some time before that." Eren felt a bit relived yet apprehensive at Levi's statement hopefully this time the mighty Commander wouldn't cost him a tooth and a few bruises.

The two men came to the end of the hall way and began to go their separate ways; Eren went outside and into the busy streets of the city to head toward the encampment base;Eren expected the crude looks of the citizens and the Military Police he passed along the way he was preparing himself for a fight but also tried to keep his cool, he saw no sense in adding a public street fight to whatever awaited him at the Military Court after what he had been through with Annie he had no fight left in him.

Upon reaching the base Eren found all of his friends and they seemed happy to see him up and about; Armin and Mikasa made their way to him and each embraced him in a quick but tight hug.

"How are you feeling,Eren?" asked Mikasa her protective nature beaming through as always to Eren's slight annoyance but he welcomed it none the less.

"I'm fine Mikasa, I may have been asleep but I know you stayed with me overnight...thanks." Eren and Mikasa grew a bit red in the face at the mention of the latter.

Admin broke the tension "Annie made it out alive as well, in a sense. She encased herself in a crystal casing; Hange is trying to crack it open but no luck." Eren seemed a bit surprised but a mixture of exhaustion and unease seemed to come over him.

Mikasa noticed "Eren, are you alright?" she placed her hand on his arm in concern and looked into his eyes awaiting his answer;Eren seemed apprehensive like he didn't want to say anything at all.

"I'm...I'm fine, guess I am just not as rested as I thought." He looked to Mikasa who seemed content with his answer, however Armin looked as if Eren had not been telling the whole story.

"Eren, we're your best friends, we can tell something is bothering you." Armin was serious but kept his usual calm demeanor.

Eren sighed "Just bad dreams..." Eren trailed off as he began to explain.

 _Titans had breeched the wall yet again and poured in by the millions; The city rang of screams, death, broken bones, and everything in between Soldiers sprang and flew through the air via the ODM gear like a frenzy of flies around a fresh trash pile. The Titans were relentless eating and throwing themselves onto or at anything they could reach with their soulless hands._

 _Eren,Armin, and Mikasa found themselves separated from their fellow Corps members as they held a center flank within the city; Disagrees signals fired from all directions and though they tried to aid their friends they always found themselves back in the city center like cornered cattle waiting for the slaughter._

 _"We need to regroup with the others! if we stay in the open we're bait!" said Armin in the heat of battle as he sliced the nape of a 10 meter class Titan, blood filled the air and traced his uniform._

 _Mikasa moved like lightning as she sliced Titan necks "Do we have a visual on anyone, or to an open path?" Titans fell in the sight of the one woman army's blades and the Titan corpses built up by the dozen._

 _Admin searched around them and found Eren charging down a center road "Eren looks like he found a way, we gotta help him cut through." Both soldiers began flying toward his location._

 _Eren sliced through as many Titans as possible, his anger for their destruction seemed to grow and grow with every sliced nape; Dead soldiers lay around his path, some in pieces and most fully swallowed or regurgitated into a dead mound of saliva. Titans kept coming like a never ending Tsunami it seemed as if two Titans fell, four more replaced them within the carnage_

 _"The damn things just keep coming!" yelled Eren aloud as he began to tire from the slaughter, he had worked down to this last pair of blades and could run out of gas any minute making his ODM gear useless weight. Out of nowhere a explosion rang through the city and produced a huge trail of steam and smoke; Eren looked on in a mix of anger and horror it could only mean one thing, the Colossal Titan._

 _The Colossal Titan appeared from the fray, it's gargantuan height towering over the city and the other Titans; It looked onward with its emotionless face a look of pure destruction laced it's eyes as it began to slowly walk and crush anything in its path._

 _Eren looked onward "You finally decided to show yourself you son of a bitch." as if the beast had heard him the Titan linked sights with Eren._

 _Eren pressed the triggers on his gear but he wouldn't budge, his fuel had become depleted. He looked on in anger as the beast still advanced forward, even with strong enough blades Eren knew cutting through or even reaching the nape of the Colossal Titan would be a almost impossible task. Within seconds Eren knew what had to be done, he prepared to transform until Armin and Mikasa entered the scene._

 _"Eren, regroup with the others!" yelled Mikasa as she prepared to advance toward the Colossal's neck._

 _Eren became enraged "Mikasa get back! I'm the only one who can take him down!" he looked on in a mix of anger and fear as Mikasa failed to listen to him, Mikasa had been captured by the Titans grip before anyone could even blink._

 _Armin was approaching as well "We know you have a vendetta with this beast, we all do; Eren, for once trust in your friends!" Eren couldn't believe what he was hearing even Armin who always kept his cool was not going into the fray like a blind dog sniffing out food, he too became captured._

 _Eren could no longer stand by while his friends had the life squeezed from them; He bit down hard on his hand and within mere seconds transformed into a Titan, his roar rang out like a mighty symphonic choir as he began charging the Colossal's Titan his only thought being to save his friends and destroy the Colossal once and for all._

Eren looked down "The dream always stops there, I never know if I save you two in time." Armin and Mikasa looked at Eren silent and still as they let the story they heard unfold in their minds. Both soldiers approached Eren and waited for him to look them both in the eye.

"We all knew before we enlisted, that this war wouldn't come easy." said Mikasa to the point as ever, she never missed a beat.

Armin nodded in agreement "Right , but if we focus on every 'if' it will only hinder us; We need to trust in our and every other persons will to fight." he put a gentle hand on Eren's shoulder as he concluded. Eren took a deep breath of uncertainty but he knew his friends were right, they had come this far in the fight for the very future of Humanity; Why come all this way to fall now?

"You're right, we all three said we would make it out from this in one piece;Might as well live by it." Eren looked at his friends and any soldier within a glance of his view and he began to feel determination rise within him. This war would go on until the very last Human or Titan spilled blood; Dreams or Hope would have to wait for the harsh reality to settle; But, as with Human nature dreams and hopes also keep the spirit willing to fight.


End file.
